London Tech Week (LTW) is the United Kingdom's largest annual technology event, typically running for one week in June across multiple venues in London. Founded in 2014, it has grown to attract over 70,000 attendees and hundreds of speakers across government, venture capital, enterprise and startup communities. The event is organised by Informa and supported by DSIT (the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology), with each edition themed around a strategic UK technology priority. Previous editions have seen major government policy announcements timed to the event's media cycle.

The week serves as a platform for UK technology policy as much as a commercial exhibition. Government ministers routinely use LTW to announce funding programmes, regulatory updates and industrial strategies. The AI Safety Summit in November 2023 at Bletchley Park was a parallel track; LTW remains the domestic commercial venue for UK tech policy announcements. Major venture capital firms, corporate R&D heads, and startup founders converge annually, creating a concentrated deal-making and announcement environment.

London Tech Week's 2026 edition hosted the announcement Science Secretary Liz Kendall had pre-committed to at RUSI in April: on Monday 8 June the UK unveiled a £1.1bn AI Hardware Plan, comprising £750m for a national AI supercomputer running from 2030, £400m for advanced chip purchasing (including £150m for inference hardware that summer), a £120m AI Hardware Innovation Programme, and a £150m advance-customer commitment to buy novel chips from British startups via a British Business Bank / Playground Global vehicle. At RUSI on 28 April 2026 Kendall had named five British AI hardware companies, Fractile, Olix, Lumai, Optalysys and Salience Labs, as the intended beneficiaries.

The announcement did not settle the sovereignty question it was meant to answer. On 7 July the Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, chaired by Chi Onwurah, found the government had "no coherent strategic framework" for sovereign technology and warned the UK "risks being cut off at whim", citing the June US order that briefly barred foreign access to Anthropic's frontier models.

Common Questions

What is London Tech Week and when does it take place?

London Tech Week is the UK's largest annual technology conference, typically held in June across multiple London venues. Founded in 2014 and organised by Informa with DSIT support, it attracts over 70,000 attendees and is a major platform for UK technology policy announcements.Source: https://londontechweek.com

What government announcements are expected at London Tech Week 2026?

Secretary of State Liz Kendall has committed to launching the UK AI Hardware Plan at London Tech Week in June 2026. The plan names five British chip startups and will specify whether the mechanism is procurement, equity, or grants.Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/rebuilding-britain-for-the-new-world-liz-kendalls-speech-at-the-royal-united-services-institute

Has the UK government made big AI announcements at London Tech Week before?

Yes. DSIT and its predecessor departments have used London Tech Week repeatedly for AI strategy and funding announcements. The AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in November 2023 was a parallel track; LTW remains the domestic commercial venue for such announcements.Source: https://londontechweek.com

What AI Hardware Plan did the UK announce at London Tech Week 2026?

On 8 June 2026 Science Secretary Liz Kendall announced a £1.1bn AI Hardware Plan at London Tech Week: £750m for a national AI supercomputer, £400m for chip purchasing, and £270m combined for a startup innovation programme and advance-customer commitments.Source: https://www.gov.uk

What did MPs say about the AI Hardware Plan after London Tech Week?

A month after the £1.1bn plan was announced, the Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee said the government still had no coherent strategic framework for technology sovereignty, warning the UK risks being cut off at whim by foreign partners.Source: event

Source Material

Rebuilding Britain for the new world: Liz Kendall at RUSI London Tech Week — official site

How the World Sees Them

UK government (DSIT)

Used the June 2026 AI Hardware Plan to position London Tech Week as proof of a sovereign hardware strategy. Its own select committee called that strategy incoherent a month later.

Commons SIT Committee

Welcomed the hardware spending announced at London Tech Week but judged it insufficient. In July it warned the UK has no framework to keep access to foreign frontier AI models that hardware would run.

UK chip startups (Fractile, Olix, Lumai, Optalysys, Salience Labs)

Named publicly for the first time in April 2026. June's plan gave them a rare direct government demand signal via advance-customer commitments.